 Horror/Scary: February 05, 2020 Issue [#10001] |
This week: Silent scream Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week: "In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
~Martin Luther King Jr. |
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Horror stories and movies often use sounds to scare their audiences. Examples include a scream, creaking floorboards, howling wind, footsteps on the stairs, or a whisper in the dark.
While creepy sounds can definitely add to a horror story, absence of sound can also be frightening. Imagine being in a dangerous situation and not being able to call for help, or not being heard if you do call.
One of the most memorable episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Hush" was filmed almost entirely without dialogue. For anyone who hasn't seen it, I won't give away the plot or the reason for the silence, but it was quite frightening to watch.
Here are some examples of ways silence can figure in to a horror story. You can probably think of others.
A character is hearing impaired.
While hearing impaired characters might not be able to hear the villain sneaking up on them, they might have an advantage in other situations. For example, a character who is able to read lips might be able to decipher a conversation by other characters who are some distance away. Characters who know sign language might also be able to communicate without the villain noticing.
In the movie "Hear No Evil" a deaf woman was pursued by a crooked policeman in search of a valuable object she did not know was in her possession.
A character is unable to speak
A character who is unable to speak will not be able to cry out for help. They might also have difficulty being believed or taken seriously by others. A character who cannot speak will need to find other ways of alerting others to danger.
All sound briefly stops
The entire story does not have to take place in silence in order to be frightening. We don't always notice the background sounds around us unless they are silenced. Even a few minutes without birdsong, traffic noise, or the sound of the wind might be creepy if it stops for no apparent reason.
A sound proof chamber
A character might be held prisoner in a sound proof room. Complete absence of sound and other sensory input might drive a character insane if it is withheld for a long period.
Something to try: Write a horror story that involves silence.
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